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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention resides in the provision of movable wheels on a pontoon boat or a flat bottom boat so that the boat can easily be converted to a land vehicle in the form of a trailer to be towed by a towing vehicle
2. Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 3,755,838 shows a boat to trailer conversion wherein a wheel on each side of the boat is retracted by swinging each of the wheels upwardly into a space specifically provide in the hull of the boat.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,877,094 discloses a pontoon boat having retractable pairs of wheels which are swung upwardly and outwardly through an angle of about 90xc2x0 into and out of way positions so that the pontoon can float on the water.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,941,074 illustrates a conversion of a bus which is adapted to be driven over highways in the usual manner. The bus is equipped with elongated wheel housings which are pivoted to opposite side walls to swing from a horizontal position to a vertical position. The bus is not intended to be towed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,008,679 shows a boat that can temporarily be converted to a self-driven vehicle by vertically extending three wheels donwardly below the bottom of the boat. One of the wheels is powered so that the boat can be driven into and out of the water on a ramp. It can only be transported on a trailer thereafter.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,023,222 illustrates a pontoon boat having retractable wheels which are retractable in a vertical manner and out of the way between the space of the individual and separate pontoons.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,036,507 shows a boat which is generally of the car top size and is not intended to be towed by a towing vehicle. Swingable sets of wheels mounted on the transom of the boat can swing up or down to be temporarily available to transport the boat like a wheel barrow.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,398,489 discloses a boat that can be converted to a trailer to be towed on land. A separate space is provided on each side of the boat wherein in each of the space a wheel is driven up or down to be either retracted so that the boat can float or driven down to make contact with the ground.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,515,102 shows a boat conversion that can either float on the water or wheels can be provided so that the boat can be pulled as a trailer on the highway. A wheel can be mounted on each side of the boat and then swing up and down through substantially 180xc2x0. The wheels in the up position will always be visible to an observer.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,588,203 shows a retractable wheel assembly for attachment to a boat especially at its transom so that the boat can be transported over a hard surface. The intent is not for a transport over a highway.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,567,844 shows a boat having a short haul supporting device consisting of a pair of wheels that are journalled by horizontal axis struts which are connected with the boat transom by pivotally connected plates to support the boat""s stern.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,072,963 discloses a combined trailer home and boat assembly adapted to be towed behind a motor vehicle including a trailer having a frame structure supported on a plurality of wheels and including a support cradle for supporting a boat in a stowed position.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,425,326 illustrates a boat having removable L-shaped brackets mounted at the transom of a boat and the bottoms of the L-shapes each having a wheel mounted thereon to be in contact with the ground for transport.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,813,359 shows a rowboat with a pair of permanently mounted wheels installed in the middle of opposed sides of the bottom of the boat. A pair of wheel wells isolate the wheels from the interior of the boat.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,067,925 shows a pontoon boat having a support framework that includes a number of telescoping cross members that laterally extend and retract to vary the width of the craft, Included are tires that rotate in and out of ground contact to permit towing of the boat without the need for a separate trailer.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,159,085 shows a boat having two rear wheels each retractably supported within a compartment and a front wheel is also retractably supported in another compartment of the bow of the boat. All wheels can swing up and down in a vertical plane. The rear wheels in a down position and the front wheel in an up position render the boat to be used as a trailer. When the front wheel is also down, the boat can roll on its own.
The boat of the invention has been designed having the ease of operation in mind and also the cost of constructing the boat. The invention can be installed on a two hull pontoon boat or a single hull flat bottom pontoon boat. In its simplest form, a bracket is rotatably mounted on each side of the boat having a regular trailer wheel mounted at its bottom as seen in a down position. When the boat is floating in the water, the wheel with its bracket is released from a bottom of the boat whereby the wheel will float to the surface of the water because of the pneumatic tire. A further up rotation will rotate the bracket over the edge of the boat and a further and continued rotation of the bracket together with the wheel will deposit the wheel in a special compartment provided under the deck. A cover over the compartment completely hides the wheel including the bracket under the deck. The rotation of the wheel as well as the bracket undergo a rotation of substantially 270xc2x0.